


Reflect

by ChaoticFairy (Amanda908565)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Ardyn Izunia Being Ardyn Izunia, Ardyn Izunia Needs A Hug, Attempt at Humor, BAMF Prompto Argentum, Consensual, Developing Relationship, Fade to Black, Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, Fix-It of Sorts, Hopeful Ending, M/M, POV Alternating, POV Ardyn Izunia, POV Prompto Argentum, Pre-Relationship, Prompto Argentum Needs a Hug, Prompto Argentum is a Ray of Sunshine, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Soulmates Seen In Reflections, Timeline What Timeline, available!!, lowkey, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25449418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amanda908565/pseuds/ChaoticFairy
Summary: Ardyn has never had to worry about something as pesky as a soulmate.He remembers, fuzzily, in the back of his mind, how he would always see his reflection in any reflective surface. It was always him. His red hair, and golden eyes, and broad frame would stare back at him.He remembers how he used to turn away from the mirrors; the shiny metals, and the bodies of water as the sun glittered over the surface. He was alone, and hehatedit. He supposed it made it easier, in a way, to not have to worry about marrying someone other than his soulmate. He would need to produce an heir for the throne, after all, and he knew himself well enough to know that he would not bed anyone but the one tied to his soul.A Promdyn soulmate au no one asked for where you see your soulmate in your reflection.(Now with anamazingRussian translation done by Bad_Grief!!)
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ardyn Izunia
Comments: 22
Kudos: 155





	Reflect

**Author's Note:**

> This is so incredibly self-indulgent because I adore Promdyn and wanted more content for them lmao
> 
> So, a friend on twitter mentioned something about a mirror soulmate au where you see your soulmate in reflections - mirrors, water, shiny surfaces, etc - and while this is probably not what they had in mind exactly, it did inspire me! 
> 
> This is probably a little all over the place tbh, but! I hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> [You can find the Russian translation done by Bad_Grief here!](https://ficbook.net/readfic/9787519)  
> The wonderful moodboard was also done by Bad_Grief!!

Ardyn has never had to worry about something as pesky as a soulmate. 

He remembers, fuzzily, in the back of his mind, how he would always see his reflection in any reflective surface. It was always him. His red hair, and golden eyes, and broad frame would stare back at him. 

He remembers how he used to turn away from the mirrors; the shiny metals, and the bodies of water as the sun glittered over the surface. He was alone, and he _hated_ it. He supposed it made it easier, in a way, to not have to worry about marrying someone other than his soulmate. He would need to produce an heir for the throne, after all, and he knew himself well enough to know that he would not bed anyone but the one tied to his soul.

Then, the Scourge happened, and Somnus betrayed him, and all that was but a distant memory.

Now, when Ardyn looked in the mirror he was greeted with the sight of black sludge dripping from his eyes, his nose, his ears, his mouth...

Maybe Fate had been kind for once. 

Because who could ever want the Accursed as a soulmate?

Years passed. Years became decades, decades became centuries, and centuries became two millenia. Ardyn avoided reflective surfaces as much as he could. When he had no choice, he made sure to circumvent his gaze. There was no need to check. Nothing would have changed. There was no need for more punishment. 

He had been fine without a soulmate. He didn’t need one, and it certainly wouldn’t help any of his plans now. The so-called True King had come of age, and it was time for Ardyn’s plan to be put into motion. It’s been a long time coming.

As he stood in the throne room of the Citadel, King Regis’ body at his feet, Ardyn chanced an upwards glance.

Only to meet bright blue eyes and a shock of yellow hair. 

He stumbled back a few paces, unsure of where this new foe might have appeared from, but as the stranger followed his movements, Ardyn realized what was happening. 

Ardyn lurched to the side, quickly emptying his stomach onto the rubble that covered the ground of the throne room. “No,” he whispered hoarsely, pointedly staring at the black sludge at the ground. “Impossible.” He stood up straight, teeth bared as he glared up at the ceiling. Ardyn knew that the Astrals must be laughing amongst themselves. He _knew_ that Bahamut must be beside himself in amusement, smug as the coeurl that caught the chocobo. 

“You damn not only me, but someone else?” He shouted at nothing, “Are you truly that cruel? What did he do?” Ardyn scoffed, then mocked, “forget to leave an offering at one of your shrines? Oh, no, perhaps he left an offering. Perhaps this boy followed each and every single one of your damned instructions to a bloody _T_ , and this is your _generous_ repayment to a devoted follower.” 

When he received no answer, Ardyn let a sneer cross his face. He glanced down at the body of his many times great nephew. Regis stared up back at him with empty eyes. Something unpleasant twisted in his chest, and he forced himself to roll his shoulders back. He turned to leave, but found that he couldn’t. Instead, he moved back towards Regis and crouched down. Hesitantly, as if the Astrals would strike him down (oh, how he wished they would), he reached out and rested his fingertips on top of the fallen king’s eyelids. He dragged his hand down, closing the man’s eyes as he did the same.

Ardyn did not speak it, could not find the words to apologize, but instead, he muttered a blessing in Old Lucian. One he has not given since his the last patient who did not survive the Scourge. He stood.

He had no more business here. His plans had been set into motion. There was no stopping them. The boy-king would be forced to grow, and the prophecy would be fulfilled. 

Ardyn would forget about the fact that the Astrals had paired some poor mortal with him. 

He would. 

(He wouldn’t.)

* * *

When Prompto was younger, he didn’t understand why the other children would laugh at him. He looked different, sure, but what did that matter? They were all in the same class, so shouldn’t they be his friends? 

The other kids would tease him. They would make fun of his blonde hair. Tell him it looked like dirty hay given to horses. They told him his eyes were too bright - too _weird._ Nobody’s eyes were that bright except for Prince Noctis’, they said. They would push him down, and laugh. The bigger they are, the harder they fall! He thinks that their words hurt more than whenever they managed to get him to trip over something and he would hit the rough pavement.

He didn’t understand why they would be so mean to him. Bet he won’t even have a soulmate! They would jeer, who could love a dirty Niff?

Prompto never fought back.

His parents were never home, but at least they left him money to buy what he needed. They paid for the house, and the power, and it was always warm during the winter. He couldn’t complain about that. He was thankful for it all.

It was all just... a tad lonely. He didn’t get bedtime stories, or home cooked meals, or hugs. He hung up his own report cards on the fridge, just in case his parents stopped by. He kept the house tidy. He closed the door to his parents’ room and the guestroom, and never opened them. They were probably filled with dust and stale air, but he couldn’t bring himself to care much. 

He never had soulmates explained to him.

So, he didn’t understand why, after a particularly lonely day at school, he returned home and went to turn on the television, there was someone else staring back at him. 

He had startled and fallen back. Reasonably so, he would think, and quickly scuttled away on all fours. His immediate thought was that there was a ghost trapped in his television. 

After a few moments of heavy breathing, and wide eyed stares, Prompto managed to calm down enough to cautiously crawl towards the screen. 

There was a man looking back at him - because there’s no way that Prompto could call the stranger a _boy_. He raised his hand slowly, noticing how the man copied his movements. He blinked. The man in the television wore some funny clothes, but Prompto guessed he shouldn’t judge so quickly. He tapped the screen, but let a relieved smile cross his face when he realized that he wasn’t in danger. 

The man copied him, and Prompto realized that he had a nice smile. 

Prompto cocked his head to the side, and so did the man. He realized that since the screen was black, it made whatever color the man’s hair was look like a dark purple. He thought that was weird, but in a good way. Like how chocobos were weird because they had scales _and_ feathers, but they were still so very cool. 

He didn’t know how long he sat in front of his television, staring at the man, but he woke up the next morning on the floor of his living room, the faint sound of his alarm ringing. As he scrambled to get ready, Prompto didn’t look back at the television, and instead ran about the house.

* * *

He forgot about the man for a little while. He didn’t really have reason to look in the mirror, anyway. He didn’t like how he looked, so what was the point?

The next time he saw the man was when he forced himself to stand in front of the mirror so he could take a photo. He had decided, after receiving Lady Lunafreya’s letter, that he was going to work on himself so that he could be a worthy friend to Prince Noctis. He knew it would take a lot of work, but he was determined to see it through. He couldn’t disappoint the Oracle! 

Except, as he raised his camera to take his Day Zero photo, he froze. The man was staring back at him, looking curious and a bit freaked out. Prompto assumed that’s how he must look. 

He knew now that this was his soulmate. He’s read some books, and many of his classmates had started excitedly whispering to their groups of friends, talking about what their soulmates looked like. Everyone would describe another student, mostly. Some had older soulmates, but...no one talked about one as old as Prompto’s. He bit his lip. 

His soulmate had a ridiculous outfit on, but all Prompto could do was giggle to himself. He raised his arms up, and the stranger did the same. He furrowed his brows. 

His soulmate needed to understand that he couldn’t wear, like, five different patterns at once. He did like the long overcoat, though. That looked pretty cool, in his opinion. He spun around slowly, and noticed that his soulmate’s hair was longer than his own, and an odd magenta color, but Prompto adored it. 

Prompto, without thinking, jumped around to face the mirror and threw up some finger guns, winking dramatically. His soulmate’s reflection did the same, and he couldn’t stop laughing. 

The man looked like his stories had stories. Prompto wondered if the man would ever tell them to him. Maybe he’d be the first one to tell Prompto a bedtime story, and then fall asleep next to him. That would be nice. 

Slowly, the giggles died down, and the smile slipped off his face. 

The words of his classmates circled in his head. He swallowed thickly, and could feel the tears gathering in his eyes. He glanced at the mirror, and hated how he was making his soulmate look so sad. He sucked in a sharp breath. It’s okay. His soulmate would want him. His soulmate who had pretty gold eyes and weird magenta hair and needed to get a better fashion sense. His soulmate would love him, right?

_Who could love a dirty Niff?_

A sob left his mouth, and Prompto carefully placed his camera on his bed before climbing onto the mattress. He felt the heat of tears begin to drip down his face and he _hated_ it. He shouldn’t be crying. He had a soulmate! His soulmate wouldn’t care that he had hair the color of straw, or too bright eyes, and he - he was going to lose weight, too! He was going to become someone who was able to proudly stand by Prince Noctis, and then his soulmate would have to see how awesome he was, right?

Right?

He lifted his head, sparing one last glance at the mirror, and felt his breath catch when he caught sight of his soulmate. 

There were streaks of black all over the man’s face. It came from his eyes. Why were his tears black? It looked like sludge. Not like motor oil. More like...tar. It was thick and dark, and Prompto was scared. Was his soulmate okay? Why were his tears like that? Prompto raised his hands to touch his face, noticing how the black streaks smudged on his soulmate’s image. 

“It’s okay,” he murmured, and he wasn’t sure if it were to his soulmate or to himself. “We’ll be okay.”

Because even if his soulmate was sick, and couldn’t match patterns, and was much older than him, Prompto knew he was going to love the man. 

He already did.

Prompto just hoped the other man would love him.

* * *

Ardyn didn’t want to think about how he had a soulmate. He refused to think of the bright blonde hair that reminded him of spun gold, and bright blue eyes that reminded him of the midday sky. 

He didn’t want to think about how his soulmate wore a younger Verstael Besithia’s face. How his soulmate was a Magitek Trooper. How his soulmate was wearing a Crownsguard uniform. 

Ardyn didn’t want to think about any of it. The boy - because that’s what he _was_ , no way past his twenty-first spring - was likely dying, anyway. If he was Crownsguard, then he lived in Lucis, and the siege had left the entire city in ruin. 

Like everyone else in Lucis, Ardyn was probably the cause of his soulmate’s death. 

He pushed the thought away. As well as any impulse to pull a mirror out of his Armiger to... _look_. As the airship left the flames, Ardyn did nothing but stare at his hands. His soulmate was going to hate him.

That’s okay, Ardyn thought, because it was easier to hate his soulmate than love him, anyway. It would be easier to hurt him, and watch him suffer, and it’s fine. Ardyn was going to kill Noctis, after some careful maneuvering to get him ready, and by then, he would never have to worry about a soulmate who’s face looked so _wrong_ twisted into a vicious sneer.

The boy would hate him. If they ever met - they wouldn’t, Ardyn reminded himself. The boy had to be dying, gasping for breath, blood seeping out of wounds and -

Ardyn shook himself, ridding the thoughts. Maybe he had been mistaken. Maybe his soulmate wasn’t Crownsguard. Maybe he just imitated the style. A wannabe guard. It would make sense. Especially since the boy was so...small. Not really, but he just seemed so much more delicate than the usual brutes. 

He had a smaller waist than the other MTs. Wider shoulders. A bit more muscle definition, if his quick once over was to be believed. He couldn’t possibly see the boy wielding daggers, limbs much too long, or carrying a greatsword into battle. It would simply knock him over.

Why was he still thinking about this?

As an MT stomped past him in full gear, Ardyn felt a twist in his stomach, and he forced himself to close his eyes and breathe. There was no use dwelling on this. The boy was dead.

He had to be.

* * *

Prompto was in awe. Galdin Quay was _beautiful._ He was so glad that he had been able to bring his camera! There was no shortage of opportunistic photo ops. “Noct, buddy, we have _got_ to get a picture of you drinking out of a coconut or something.” He laughed, crouching over to focus his lens on a small crab crawling through the sand. “Look at how cool this lil guy is!” Prompto reached forward, ready to pick the crab up, only for the animal to pinch him. “Ow! Hey! That wasn’t very nice, Mister Crab!” He scolded, a pout crossing his face. 

“Prompto,” Noctis sighed, but there was amusement in his voice.

“It appears as if he’s feeling _crabby_ ,” Ignis murmured to his compatriots, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose innocently. 

Noctis turned to his advisor, missing the way that Prompto’s mouth stretched into a grin. “ _Iggy_ ,” Noctis whined. 

Gladio clapped the Prince on the shoulder, snorting, “let’s go see when the next boat is comin’ through.” 

Prompto nodded once, then twice. “Yeah, you guys go! I’ll catch up! I wanna get a few more pics around here. Maybe Mister Crab will let me get a pic with him.”

“I swear,” Noctis muttered, “half of your photos are selfies.”

The blonde shrugged, “hashtag sorry not sorry.” Noctis rolled his eyes, but didn’t order him to come along, so Prompto took that to mean he had permission to stay behind. Besides, they were at a beach resort. He highly doubted anyone would be dumb enough to attack the Crown Prince in broad daylight.

Prompto raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he looked out to the sea. It was a picturesque moment, that’s for sure. He’d have to convince the guys to take a group photo later. He knew that they were taking Noctis to meet Lady Lunafreya, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have any fun on the way!

Eventually, Prompto figured he should probably catch up with his friends. He’s a Crownsguard now! So, he should be...guarding the Crown. Right? Right.

He swung his camera to the side carefully, and then began to jog up the dock and towards the resort. 

Only to skid to a stop halfway there. 

Because walking towards him, with the sun shining behind him and wrapping him in a golden glow, was none other than Prompto’s soulmate. 

The sun might be in his eyes, but Prompto would recognize the silhouette that the man’s overcoat made anywhere. 

There was really no mistaking it. Prompto has never met someone with a hair color like his soulmates, nor someone that dressed like the man. He’s never seen anyone with the same pretty gold eyes, or magenta whiskers on their chin. He’s glad that he hadn’t been holding his camera, or else he would have dropped it.

* * *

Ardyn watched as someone was jogging up the dock. He paid them little mind. After seeing the boy-king, and taunting him, he felt marginally better. The big one - the Amicitia Shield, he knew - had gotten in the way of their delightful little chat, but Ardyn could hardly blame the other. The Shield was the first line of defense. It’s good to know he had a sense of duty. 

Although, it was a bit disappointing that the one in the glasses, the advisor, hadn’t recognized him. He was the Imperial Chancellor of the country they were at war with, and all the man had done was assess him as a threat in the moment. Ardyn hadn’t missed the way his fingers seemed to twitch, desperate for a weapon. That pleased Ardyn immensely. He was glad that the boy-king had two loyal dogs at his side. It would certainly make for a more interesting sequence of events.

Their chat was brief, but that was alright. He introduced himself - in a wondrously dramatic fashion, if he might add - and he would see them again in Lestallum. 

As he meandered down the dock, he hummed to himself, wondering if his plans were going to go as smooth as he hoped. The man that had been jogging towards the resort had stopped. Ardyn wondered if something had happened, or if he had been recognized. He didn’t bother hurrying along. One man could not hurt him, and he would be gone within the next half hour. 

All was going according to plan.

Which, of course, was the moment he had walked close enough to realize _who_ the man was. 

“Oh, by the damned Six...”

* * *

He didn’t move. He _couldn’t_ move. There were the traitorous thoughts in the back of his head that swore his soulmate wouldn’t want him. Prompto wasn’t sure what to do. His soulmate was still walking in his direction. The stranger (was he really a stranger? Prompto had seen him in every reflective surface since grade school) didn’t acknowledge him. Prompto thought that was odd. It wasn’t like the sun was in the stranger’s eyes! He took a step forward. 

“H-Hey!” He called out, “hey! Wait a sec!” He turned to chase after the man, who seemed to be pointedly ignoring him. He rushed towards the man, stepping in front of the other so that he was forced to stop.

* * *

Ardyn had to remind himself that no, he could not simply warp out of this extremely uncomfortable situation since that would show his hand much too early. 

How was the boy _here?_ He should have been lying under a pile of rubble in Lucis! Body bloodied, and golden locks charred, and blue eyes glazed over lifelessly. He should _not_ be trying to get Ardyn to stop and chat. He should not be in Galdin Quay! 

“Excuse me,” Ardyn sniffed, layering a hefty amount of annoyance into his tone. “I’m on a schedule, so if you wouldn't mind...” He tilted his head to the side, pursing his lips together.

* * *

Prompto frowned. “You should smile more.” Oh. Oh, maybe he shouldn’t have said something like that so soon. “Ah, sorry. Um. Hi! I’m Prompto!” He shifted awkwardly, and felt himself wilt under the other’s impatient gaze. “You’re...uh, you’re my soulmate.”

The stranger flinched at the words, and Prompto wondered for a moment. Were his deepest fears true? Was he to be rejected by the one person the Astrals had promised him? It’s not unheard of, but it _wa_ _s_ incredibly rare. 

He waited. It felt like an eternity. Then, the man opened his mouth, “I am not your soulmate. Be thankful for that, boy.”

The blonde reeled back, not dissimilar to the way he first did when he saw his soulmate in the reflection of his television. “What?” He asked, confused. “You’re my soulmate! I see you in reflections, man! I’m pretty sure there’s no one else out there with the same... _unique_ fashion taste,” he explained, a smile playing on his lips. “I’ve always loved your coat, by the way. The ruffle collar is pretty cool, too, but I don’t know, there’s just so many patterns and it’s so _busy_ that -”

“Yes, busy. Just like me. I apologize for the confusion, but I must be on my way,” the man grit out. 

Prompto frowned. “Hey, no. Look, I know I’m...not what you probably dreamt of, but I just -” he swallowed. “I want this to work, yeah? If the Six thought we were meant for each other, then that’s gotta mean something, right?”

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, since the stranger bared his teeth like a wild animal, and hissed, “the Astrals have done nothing good for me in all my years of life.” With that, the man pushed Prompto and continued down the dock. 

The marksman wasn’t sure what to do. He wasn’t sure how to react, so...he didn’t. He simply watched as his soulmate walked away from him, and felt the place where his heart was placed grow cold.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there - it couldn’t have been that long, but Prompto couldn’t be sure. He heard hurried footsteps approaching him, and he still didn’t look away from the direction his soulmate walked, and ultimately disappeared from. 

“Woah, Prom, man, you alright?” 

Prompto blinked once, slowly turning his head to look at his friends. “I met my soulmate,” he stated, but the words were empty. He felt empty. 

His friends’ eyes widened. “What? Dude, that’s great! Why do you look like they kicked a chocobo, though?” Noctis moved closer to Prompto. “Prom...?”

He tried to give his friends a reassuring smile, but based on the look the three of them shared, he hadn’t succeeded. “I’m fine,” Prompto promised, even as his voice pitched. “They - they, um. Don’t want anything to do with me.”

There was a sharp intake of breath, and Prompto knew it was from Ignis. He couldn’t see anything, and he wondered if he had somehow knocked out a contact, but then realized he was crying. Oh. He didn’t want to do that. “I’m sorry,” he heard himself say, quickly raising a hand to angrily wipe at his face. “I shouldn’t be so upset, it’s fine. I’m fine. It’s not like I actually know them, or anything.” He said, trying to convince himself more than his friends. 

Noctis threw an arm over his shoulder. “C’mon, we can talk in the hotel room.”

“Highness -” Ignis began, but he must have been cut off. He wondered if it was because of a look from Noctis. Prompto felt bad. They didn’t need to get a hotel room. There were Havens, and even that caravan near the parking lot. 

“Seriously, don’t worry, I’m fine,” Prompto forced out, “let’s go set up camp, yeah?” 

“No,” Gladio said. His words were firm, and Prompto was mildly surprised by the man’s contribution. He would have assumed that Gladio would be for camping. “No, we can get a room for the night. We can pick up a hunt tomorrow. Coctura mentioned somethin’ earlier. Think we all deserve a soft bed.”

Prompto decided not to argue. Especially when Ignis seemed to let out a small sigh, followed by, “very well.”

He made sure not to look down at the water.

* * *

Prompto doesn’t remember how they got to the hotel room, or how they even got the key, honestly, but he was grateful for it. Noctis had gently pushed him to sit on the edge of the bed, and he knew that Gladio and Ignis were both hovering close by. 

Noctis sat down next to him. The guy seemed uncomfortable, and Prompto thought that maybe he should be making idle conversation with his friend, or even offer to play a round of King's Knight, but before he could, Noctis spoke up. “Did you...wanna talk about it?” 

That was weird. Well, not really in the grand scheme of things, but soulmates were just something that was politely shoved off the table for them. Neither of them brought it up, and it was assumed a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ situation. Prompto looked down at his lap. “I...I don’t know.” He admitted. Talking about his soulmate seemed odd. It was something he always held close. “He... he doesn’t want me.”

“He’s stupid, then.” Noctis told him plainly. Prompto’s head snapped up to look at his friend. “You’re amazing, Prom. I know you don’t see it -” Prompto opened his mouth to argue, but Noctis covered his mouth with a hand. He licked at it. “Oh, gross, dude! Let me be serious for a sec!” Prompto pursed his lips, but relented. “You’re kind and loyal and fun and even though you’re shit at any game that isn’t a first person shooter,” Prompto glared at his friend, but he couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips. “You’re a real catch, dude.”

Prompto couldn’t help it. The corners of his mouth twitched. “Did you just make a fishing joke?” 

“Six, you’re annoying.” Noctis rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. 

Prompto grinned back, but then he started thinking again. “I...when we were in school, the other kids used to say that my soulmate wouldn’t want me,” he admitted. “Because...they said that no one could want a dirty Niff.” 

Noctis’ eyes narrowed. “You are a citizen of Lucis, Prompto.” 

“Yeah, but,” he waved haphazardly at himself, “have you seen me?” 

“Sorry, no, I don’t have eyes.”

“ _Noct_ ,” Prompto sighed. “I might be a citizen of Lucis, but I certainly don’t look like one.”

His friend seemed to think this over, and Prompto was suddenly concerned that Noctis was going to come to the conclusion that Prompto was _right_ and he would be sent back to Lucis. “Doesn’t matter to me.” The Prince shrugged eventually. “Also, when we get home, I'm making a statement. Immigrants are still citizens. I don’t want this kind of shit happening in the future.” 

Prompto really loved his best friend. 

He nodded once, and agreed quietly. There were another few moments of silence before he decided to speak again. “You, um. Probably saw him here. He was walking away from the entrance.” Noctis looked interested, and gestured for Prompto to continue. “He would have stuck out. He wears like, a bajillion different patterns at once and has this really weird but super cool purplish hair? I think Iggy would call it maroon, but I’m not sure if it’s really maroon, y’know? Maybe in certain light? He’s got pretty yellow eyes and -”

“He had a posh accent and sounded incredibly smug the entire time?” 

Prompto blinked, “you talked to him?”

“More like he talked at us.” Noctis called Ignis and Gladio over, who had been doing a wonderful job of pretending not to listen in. “Prompto’s soulmate is our Man of No Consequence.”

Silence. 

It was Gladio who broke it. He looked at Prompto and offered a small, regretful smile. “I’m sure we’ll see him again, kid.”

* * *

Prompto was glad that his soulmate fiasco happened last night, because that morning, they learned that Lucis had been razed.

They didn’t have time to deal with Prompto’s soulmate drama. Not when their home was destroyed.

* * *

They would see his soulmate again. Prompto had only been half-expecting to see him again on their new journey, but it seems as if his soulmate was not expecting the same. 

“Your retinue seems to have gained another member, Highness,” the man hummed, eyes never leaving Prompto. 

Prompto’s pretty sure that Noctis would have socked the guy in the jaw if Gladio hadn’t reached out to grab the back of his shirt. 

“No matter. Aren’t nursery rhymes such curious things?” The stranger might have been talking to Noctis, but his gaze never left Prompto. He didn’t know whether to feel elated or dismayed. 

Especially when the man introduced himself, and now Prompto had a name to go along with the face. 

What a perfect, infuriatingly smug face it was. 

Noctis didn’t like the guy, but that was understandable to Prompto. Ardyn had thrown money at him, and not in the good way. Not to mention the weird pissing contest they were now having as Noctis had to drive the Regalia and keep pace with Ardyn, but not overtake him. When Ardyn pulled into the outpost, Prompto furrowed his brows. They shouldn’t stop. Shouldn’t they just keep going? Noctis’ headaches were pretty bad, and the sooner they fixed the problem, the better. 

Then Ardyn said they were spending the night, and so graciously offered to pay for a caravan. Well. In any case, maybe Prompto would get to talk with his soulmate. Without looking at his friends, Prompto took off after Ardyn, quickly catching up. “Who are you?” Prompto started, “really?” 

Ardyn didn’t even glance at him, “Ardyn, a man of no -”

“Consequence, yeah, the guys mentioned that, but c’mon.”

The man peeked towards him, “you don’t believe me?”

Prompto snorted, “oh, please, you scream suspicious from here to Galahd.”

Ardyn quirked a brow. “Galahd, you say?”

“Yep,” Prompto responded, popping the _p_. 

“If that’s the case, why listen to me? Follow after me?”

Prompto shrugged. “Don’t got any other choice.” He paused, “and I wanted to know why you said you’re not my soulmate.”

The blonde ignored how the man’s eye seemed to twitch. “I see you do not know when to leave well enough alone. Shall I spell it out for you?”

Prompto licked at his teeth. First of all, rude, but secondly, “yes, actually. If you don’t want me, I’d like to know why.” 

“Astrals be damned, you’re a bloody stubborn one, aren’t you?” Ardyn stopped walking, and turned to look at Prompto. “I’m not good for you. I’m not who you think I am.” 

“Yeah, kinda already covered that.” He shrugged, and Ardyn blinked twice, unsure of how to respond, Prompto was sure. He squinted. “Are you sick, or something?”

“Pardon?” Now Ardyn looked confused. Prompto felt bad, but he needed to ask. It’s always made him curious. 

“Are you sick?” He repeated. “When you cry, it’s black. It’s not tears or anything, but it’s...it’s like, I don’t know. Sludge? Let’s go with sludge.” Oh, now Ardyn was panicking. Or appeared to be panicking. Prompto shouldn’t have said anything! “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said anything! I’ll just -”

“How do you know that?” Ardyn forced out. “How do you know I’m...afflicted?”

Prompto gave a wry smile. “Kinda sorta had some breakdowns near mirrors. Hard to notice, man.”

“I...I see.” Ardyn paused, then took a deep breath. He took a sweeping bow. “I deeply apologize, Prompto, but I simply cannot be what you desire.” 

He stared. Stared some more. “Yeah, no, not gonna cut it.” He had cried his heart out in Galdin Quay. Noctis had hyped him up the whole night, and he was currently channeling that energy as strongly as he could. He’s not about to be rejected a second time by his other half. “Buck up, buttercup. You’ve got me as your soulmate, and I’m kinda difficult to get rid of.”

Ardyn looked thoughtful. “I could kill you.”

Prompto shrugged. “You could. Where’d that leave you, though? Six feet under with me, since the guys would kick your ass.” He hummed, “trust me, this is for the best. Don’t worry!” He smiled brightly, teasing, “I’m not a daemon. I don’t bite.”

* * *

Oh, Ardyn thought, if only you knew, dear Prompto. If only you knew.

* * *

“Allow me to introduce myself!” Ardyn shouted from his spot on the airship. “Izunia! Ardyn Izunia!” He kept his eyes glued to his little soulmate, waiting for the heartbreak to show itself on the boy’s face. This was for the best, he told himself. It’s better for Prompto to hate him. It would be easier this way. 

Instead, he saw determination set into Prompto’s features, and Ardyn felt his long dead heart skip a beat. This was going to be interesting to say the least.

* * *

“I can’t believe him!” Prompto yelled. “I can, but I can’t, but I just - _argh!_ ” He threw his hands up, only to tug at his hair. He shouldn’t be so surprised. “He’s an asshole! How could he just... lead us on like that?!”

Noctis was sulking where he sat. Not even the chocobos on the ranch could soothe Prompto’s ire, and he knew that Noctis was likely going over twelve different ways he could kill the guy. He took a deep breath. “Next time I see him, I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind, sick or not.” 

Ignis made a noise from where he had been seated. “Sick?” He asked. 

Prompto froze. “Um. Yeah. I think?” 

Gladio leaned forward, leveling him with a heavy stare. “You think?” He frowned. “If you’ve known he was sick this whole time, we could have -”

“Could have _what_ , Gladio?” Prompto snapped. “Killed him before this happened? We didn’t _know_ what he had planned. You wouldn’t have killed someone thought to be innocent.” Even at Gladio’s dark look, Prompto knew he was right. Not to mention that he was Prompto’s soulmate. The guys likely wouldn’t have touched the situation with a ten foot pole.

“What is his sickness, Prompto?” Ignis questioned, voice soft. It was like the man knew he was walking on eggshells and broken glass. 

He huffed. “I don’t know. What kinda disease makes you cry black?”

“He cries blood?”

He shook his head, “no, not blood. Black. It’s...sludge. Tar-like stuff. Super gross and it leaves a stain.”

Ignis looked like he stopped working, and it made Prompto nervous. “When you looked in the mirror, Prompto,” the man began, “was there even something...something else, other than Ardyn, looking back at you?”

Prompto furrowed his brows. What? That made no sense. It was only ever Ardyn in his reflection. “No?” He responded, unsure. “It’s always just been his stupid face. He really needs to smile more. He looks so nice when he smiles...”

“Prompto,” Ignis cut him off. “Focus. There was never...never a daemon in the reflection?”

“What?! No! My soulmate might be some big shot from Niflheim but he isn’t a daemon!” Prompto shouted. How could Ignis think such a thing?! 

Ignis stared at him. “Who has a mirror?” 

“Iggy, dude, what are you trying to prove?”

Noctis grabbed one out of the Armiger, tossing it to the other man. Ignis held it up in front of Prompto. “Apologies, Prompto, but I do believe we need to check something.” There was the familiar _thwip_ of magic as blue crystals flew through the air. Ignis held one of his daggers in hand, and looked at Prompto. Then, he lunged forward. 

Prompto let out a yelp, and immediately raised his arms to defend himself. He couldn’t believe that Ignis was attacking him! “What the heck!” He felt the dagger slice into the skin of his forearm, and he swore loudly. “Iggy!” He tried to push the man off. Gladio and Noctis were both watching, dumbfounded, and Prompto was annoyed that no one moved to help him. “Dude! Get off!” He felt his irritation grow, and he fought against the urge to headbutt Ignis, who was currently pinning him to the dusty ground. A few chocobos _kweh_ ed at the ruckus, but none approached them. 

“Look in the mirror, Prompto,” Ignis ordered, and Prompto had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from spitting. As it was, he was currently bucking his hips to get the other man off, and it seemed to be working. Ignis lost his grip, and Prompto managed to roll them over, reversing their positions, and flicking the dagger out of his friend’s grasp.

“What the _fuck_ , Ignis?” He seethed. His arm was coated in red, but he couldn’t do much about it right then. He never thought that Ignis would be a _threat_ to him! 

Ignis stared back at him. “Look in the mirror, please,” he said calmly, as if Prompto _wasn’t_ a minute away from blowing a fuse. The blonde grumbled, but ultimately looked up at the mirror. Staring back at him wasn’t himself, as usual, but...but that wasn’t Ardyn, either, right? Just because the guy was sick and cried black tears didn’t mean...

“Oh, what the fuck,” he muttered, unable to tear his gaze away from the reflection. Ardyn was looking back at him, the black sludge dripping from his eyes, and mouth, and it _covered_ his arm, where he was bleeding. His teeth looked sharper, and his eyes were black, and he didn’t look human.

He looked like a daemon.

Ignis stifled a sigh, “it’s as I feared. I believe that Prompto’s soulmate is a daemon.”

* * *

Once he was cleaned up, and Ignis explained what exactly he had been thinking. That he had read of a prophecy mentioning an Accursed, and the True King, and of covenants formed and a world covered by darkness. After Ignis spoke, saying what it meant for all of them, Prompto was quiet for a while. 

Then, “so, like, you know that I’m not gonna let the prophecy happen, right?”

“We don’t got a choice, kid. You think I like this anymore than you? Than Noct?” Gladio rumbled. 

Prompto looked at him, and when he smiled, it was all teeth. “Like I’m gonna let my soulmate and my best friend kill each other.”

Noctis let out a long, heavy sigh. Prompto was prepared to argue with Noctis, but when the other man looked at him, he relaxed. “Well,” he started, “this is great and all, and I’d like to maybe not die, but I’m not gonna call you Uncle Prompto.”

His lips twitched, “but, Noct, buddy, pal o’ mine, it’ll be like we’re family!” 

“Gross.”

“Oh, come on!”

* * *

They see Ardyn again, of course. They’re at the Imperial Base trying to reclaim the Regalia, and they were _so close,_ but then a guy as big as Gladio came strutting towards them, and started waving around a sword, and he pushed Gladio back, and - 

The moment Ardyn’s voice was heard, Prompto snapped his head towards the direction it came from. “Hey!” He shouted. “Ardyn, you fuck, we gotta have a lil’ chat.”

Ardyn raised a brow, hat tucked under his arm. “And what, dear heart,” the endearment was dripping with derision, causing Prompto to glare, “is there to talk about? How I don’t need to do this? What heroic speech have you concocted in the attempt to make me see the error of my ways? Have you come to save me, dear Prompto?” 

Prompto squinted. He stayed silent, and Ardyn held his gaze, but the longer he remained quiet - a remarkable feat, truly - the less smug Ardyn’s face became and the more...concerned? wary? unsure? it turned instead. 

“So, like, are all the conflicting patterns the result of the, like, gazillion daemons wearing you like a meatsuit? Do they all have different preferences?” He finally asked. 

Ardyn reared back, shock crossing his features. “I beg your pardon? I would -” 

“I’m not on board with the whole prophecy thing, and I’d like to think you aren’t either, and you probs just wanna fuck over the Astrals at this point, which, valid, but like. Can we do that without anyone dying? And that's only _after_ you make Noct take the longest depression nap ever?”

Noctis grumbled next to him. “I’m not calling him Uncle. He's the reason my dad's dead.”

The other man winced slightly, but Prompto took that as a good sign. Ardyn could still _feel_ , and he could still feel remorse. At least, that’s what he assumed. 

“Chancellor,” the guy with the super cool metal arm interrupted. “If you would _let me finish my job_ ,” he muttered, glaring at Noctis. 

Ardyn waved him away, “off you go, Ravus. Let the adults talk for a bit.” Ravus looked between Ardyn and Prompto, incredulous, before stomping away. Once Ravus was gone, Ardyn sighed, and slouched just the slightest bit. “What," he sighed out, "are you proposing?”

Prompto simply grinned in response, and it was both bright and full of teeth.

**Author's Note:**

> I needed to stop this fic at some point, or else it would have dragged on to become a behemoth lmao, so I leave you here with this hopeful looking fade to black! Ardyn rly can't say no to a better option when it's all but hitting him in the face (He also rly can't say no to Prompto but that's a different topic lmao)
> 
> If you enjoyed it, please remember to hit that kudos button! If you've got the time, I always appreciate comments! ~~and I'll 100% chat about this fic w you in response lol~~
> 
> Thank you for reading!!
> 
> (For those of you curious: yes, they end up breaking the prophecy  
> Ardyn gets his fuck u to the Astrals  
> He's no longer to Accursed!  
> Noctis gets to live  
> Ardyn helps d e s t r o y Niflheim  
> He never admits to or apologizes for killing Regis, since I rly think that's something he'll take with him to his grave and his relationship w Noctis is rocky at best  
> Prompto and Ardyn are happy together after everything is said and done uwu)


End file.
